Shoe polish applicator



March 6, 1962 R. FAGAN SHOE POLISH APPLICATOR Filed May 11, 1959 Allllllum INVENTOR.

Roscoe F094? 1 OTTORN States Filed May 11, 1959, Ser. No. 812,177 1 Claim. (Cl. 15-566) This invention relates to an applicator for liquid shoe polish having a dauber as a part thereof, and means for automatically feeding the polish to the dauber when the user applies pressure in the proper manner while the dauber is held in engagement with the shoe.

It is the most important object of the present invention to provide an applicator of the aforementioned character that includes a body on the polish container having a flexible nozzle whose discharge orifice opens when the nozzle is flexed, the aforementioned dauber being in covering relationship to the nozzle for receiving the polish emanating from the orifice and being made of material permeable to the polish so that the latter flows through the dauber and may be applied to the shoe in a single operation.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a novel closure for the container cooperable with the applicator in a manner not only to seal the contents, -but to hold the nozzle partially flexed into a hollow body with which it forms a part.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe polish applicator made pursuant to my present invention, showing the manner of use thereof.

FIG. 2 is an exploded elevational view of the applicator showing the closure separated therefrom.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2 but with the closure mounted on the container; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3, but with the closure removed.

Container for the liquid shoe polish to be applied through use of the applicator of the instant invention, may take any suitable form, but for purposes of illustration it is seen that it is in the nature of a bottle having a neck 12 that is in turn provided with external screw threads 14 adapted to receive a removable closure 16 that is internally tapped to cooperate with the screw threads 14.

The applicator per se includes a hollow body 18 of flexible material, provided with a tubular nozzle 20 that is in turn provided with a flat, bevelled face 22 within which is formed a normally closed discharge orifice 24 that may, if desired, constitute an elongated slit.

While the body 18 might well be mounted over the neck 12 of container 10, it is to be preferred, when screw threads 14 are provided as a means for attachment of the closure 16, that the body 18 be inserted into the neck 12 as shown. Its retention in neck 12 is enhanced by use of a collar 26 interposed between neck 12 and body 18 and having a continuous external flange 28 that abuts the outer peripheral edge of the neck 12.

Still further, as a means of assuring retention of the body 18 Within the collar 26, the latter is provided with a continuous arcuate lip 30 that partially overlies the upper end of body 18, but provides sufiicient clearance for free flexing of the nozzle 20. It is, of course, desirable, in order to permit use of highly flexible material in the body 18 and the nozzle 20, that the collar 26 and its components be of more rigid material such as a relatively hard, stiff plastic or synthetic composition.

A dauber 32 made from a suitable fabric or other material permeable to the liquid shoe polish within container 10, completely covers the nozzle 20 and is attached to Patented Mar. 6, 1962 2 the outer face of the flange'28 throughout the periphery of the latter in a suitable manner as by use of an adhesive. It is to be preferred also that the dauber 32 be adhesively attached to the inclined face 22 of the nozzle 20, thereby completely covering the discharge orifice 24.

When the nozzle 20 is extended in the manner shown by FIG. 4, the discharge orifice 24 is closed. However, upon inversion of the container 10, as shown in FIG. 1, and upon applying pressure when the dauber 32 is brought against the shoe 34, nozzle 20 will be flexed laterally, as well as inwardly into the body 18, thereby opening the orifice 24 and permitting the liquid polish to flow from the container 10, through the orifice 24 to the dauber 32. The dauber 32 will become saturated with the polish and as such liquid material permeates the dauber 32 a supply of the polish will flow to the shoe. Upon release of the pressure, the user may thereupon spread the polish evenly by use of the dauber 32 since no additional polish will flow from the container during the spreading operation while the orifice 24 is closed.

It is thus seen that the applicator is spill-proof and no polish can accidentally flow from the container 10 while the nozzle 20 is in the condition shown in FIG. 4.

The closure 16 is specially made to seal the contents of the container 10 when not in use. To this end, a continuous, internal shoulder 36 forming a part of the closure 16, bears against the periphery of the dauber 32 when closure 16 is mounted on the container 10 in the manner shown in FIG. 3. The flange 28 and the periphery of the dauber 32 are, therefore, clamped between shoulder 36 and the outermost peripheral edge of the neck 12 when the closure 16 is on the container 10.

It is also to be noted in FIG. 3 of the drawing that closure 16 partially flexes the nozzle 20 downwardly into the body 18 when the closure 16 is on the neck 12 of container 10. However, the flexing of the nozzle 20 by the closure 16 is insuflicient to open the orifice 24. Therefore, no air can enter the container 10 when the closure 16 is mounted on the neck 12.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A liquid shoe polish applicator comprising a container having a tubular neck; a collar secured to the inner surface of said neck and having an annular flange thereon extending laterally therefrom in one direction in engagement with the outermost peripheral edge of said neck, and an annular lip extending laterally therefrom in the direction opposite to said one direction; a hollow, flexible body of a material impermeable to fluids within said collar in closing relationship to said neck and provided with a tubular nozzle having an outer face provided with a normally closed slit therein providing a discharge orifice therefor adapted to open upon flexing of said nozzle, said lip on said collar engaging said body to retain the latter within the collar while permitting the same to flex to open said orifice, said face having a substantially flat portion in spaced relation to said edge of said neck, and substantially spanning the distance across the latter with the plane of said face being disposed substantially transversely of the longitudinal axis of said container; a fabric dauber permeable to said polish attached to the flange on said collar and covering said face of said nozzle; and a removable closure for the container, said closure housing the nozzle and partially pressing the same into the body when the closure is attached to the container, said closure having a sealing shoulder therein, said flange and the periphery of the dauber being clamped between the shoulder and the peripheral edge of said neck when the closure is attached to the container.

(References on following page) References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Phillips July 25, 1933 Borden June 13, 1944 5 Fleisher et a1. Oct. 22, 1946 Marchant July 27, 1954 Thorpe Mar. 24, 1959 Leeds et a1. Aug. 9, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain .1. May 8, 1897 Great Bratian Dec. 30, 1955 

